Elmaz Sherifi: The political class doesn’t respect the law, crisis will deepen

Elmaz Sherifi: The political class doesn’t respect the law, crisis will deepen
INTERVIEW/Former MP of the Socialist Party and leader of the Union for Progress and Justice Party speaks for Albanian Free Press: We’re the same as 105 years ago when Albania was governed by the International Control Committee

The vice President of EPP, David McAllister and European Parliament rapporteur on Albania, Knut Fleckenstein, lead a delegation that arrived in Tirana on Monday for the solution of the political crisis. The Slovak MEP, Eduard Kukan was not part of this delegation due to other engagements.

The delegation may be considered as an opportunity to solve the current political crisis and reach an agreement.

Since 18 February, opposition supporters led by the Democratic Party have blocked the main boulevard in Tirana and have held protests in front of the Council of Ministers building.

The parliament boycott by the opposition has also prevented the judicial reform, which was unanimously voted last year.

For more on the latest political developments in the country, Albanian Free Press talked to the former socialist MP, Elmaz Sherifi.

Interviewed for Albanian Free Press by Albert Zholi

How would you comment the latest political developments in Albania following the arrival of the delegation represented by two European Parliament politicians as negotiators between the government and opposition by the DP?

What worries me about Albania is the fact that, like 105 years ago, when Albania was governed by the International Control Committee, as a state which had just declared independence, even today, the Albanian political class is unable to address the problems and balances between state institutions and for this, it needs the mediation of the international community. This is what worries me and every Albanian and this shows a very primitive mentality in terms of institutional political culture. There is nothing new on this issue. We’re expecting to see the negotiations and the options that will be offered by European envoys.

Given that Basha is requesting a caretaker government, do you think one of the options may actually be the creation of a caretaker government?

In Albania, everything has entered a path of unlawfulness, meaning that the principle of legitimacy in Albania has collapsed. All the recent acts carried out by Albanian politics are against the law. We have also seen bizarre acts, where the two heads of the parliamentary groups belonging to the parties governing the country, request the Central Election Commission to postpone the registration of political parties in the elections. So, unlawfulness has become a democratic normality in Albania.

Do you think the sides will agree on participating in the June 18 elections?

I think that the negotiations will be very difficult, because when there are negotiations, there must be good will between the parties which are in conflict. I have noticed that even the Prime Minister of Albania and the leader of the opposition have reached a milestone and declare that they will not budge from their positions. Judging by this, I consider the solution of the crisis today as a very difficult task. I would have liked for the situation to be different, but I am not confident.

If you don’t believe in a solution of this crisis through mediation, what do you think should be done?

My idea stems from the concept that I have for the rule of law. Here in Albania, not only we’re far from these concepts due to political interests, but I think that there are more profound reasons. The political class doesn’t know the principles of the rule of law and this is why in 105 years, Albania has shifted from balance to misbalance and from normality to abnormality.

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